


teeth and claws (is gonna bring us to our knees)

by viceandvirtue



Series: prompt collection [19]
Category: SubZero (Webcomic)
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Politics, Chapters 24 & 34 Compliant, Family Drama, Forgiveness, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-05
Updated: 2019-10-05
Packaged: 2020-11-24 04:19:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20901536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/viceandvirtue/pseuds/viceandvirtue
Summary: He tells himself it’s indignation and anger that burns in his throat as he walks the halls toward his mother’s quarters.





	teeth and claws (is gonna bring us to our knees)

**Author's Note:**

> Whumptober Prompt 14: Tear-stained

He tells himself it’s indignation and anger that burns in his throat as he walks the halls toward his mother’s quarters. He tells himself he’s only listening to Clove so she won’t bring it up again. He talks himself in circles telling himself that it’s not fear or worry or shame or any of the other things he hasn’t allowed himself to feel when thinking about his mother in years.

He’d been...scared. Young and scared and impressionable in the wake of his brother’s death and his mother falling ill, wasting away in her quarters, when the Grand Marshal had come to him with a heavy hand on his shoulder and told him he’d teach him in the footsteps of his brother. He hadn’t known that his mother hadn’t trusted the Grand Marshal - how could he, when she barely _ spoke_? But then he’d gotten older and Kharis had begun telling him things, small things that passed from his mother’s lips in her lucid hours.

He certainly doesn’t trust the Grand Marshal now. He can’t even trust his own _ Generals_. And now Clove -

Kyro pushes the intrusive thoughts away viciously and grimaces when the emotion causes Red to stir. _ Now is not the time for such things_, he reminds himself as he steps through the antechamber. He only barely registers one of his mother’s attendants speaking before she’s blocking his path, eyes narrowed in frustration.

“How many times do I need to say it? The Empress is not taking visitors!” she snaps. Kyro doesn’t acknowledge her and pushes past, ignoring her gasp of surprise and her following scramble to stop him. “Your Highness! You can’t go in there! Please, she insisted that no one come in!”

She gives one last desperate plea as he pulls back to curtain see his mother curled in on herself, bloodstained handkerchief to her lips. “Your Highness!” Without her words the room is so silent that even his own steady heartbeat feels too loud in his chest. 

“Leave us,” he orders after a moment.

With a defeated sigh she bows and murmurs a quick “Yes, Your Highness.” before pulling away back into the antechamber where she will not be able to heart the coming conversation.

As soon as she’s gone, the Empress has turned her ire on him. “Get out!” she snarls before a wracking cough shakes her frail frame and he steps forward quickly. “You _ brat_!” she continues, when he makes it apparent that he’s not going to leave. “Why don’t you ever listen to me?! You know I don’t want to be seen like this!”

Kyro watches with gold eyes as tears leave tracks down her face, face seemingly impassive and lets his mother continue. “Can’t you see how pitiful I am?! How can you still come back here…” This time it’s a sob that cuts off her words. “After everything I’ve done to you…”

Another sob and their confrontation in the throne room flashes in his memory. _ Hitting his knees before his mother’s throne as pain wracks his system, her cutting words and all he can think about his brother and Kharis, how he’s kept this kingdom from falling _ apart _ while his mother sat back and _ watched_, her marks __faded_. _ “If you intend to keep your crown you will do as I say.” His mother’s footsteps getting closer, closer, red flaring on both of their faces and the gold eyes she imparted to him burning in a way they haven’t since… “Because I now realize that for this kingdom I would sacrifice _ anything_...even your happiness.” _

It hasn’t even been that long and yet…

“_ ...my own son _,” his mother whispers around more tears. And just like that day in the throne room he falls to his knees. But this time his mother isn’t standing over him, and the only pain he feels is the pain constricting his heart as he brings his arms around his mother and feels her hands come up to clutch at his shoulders with a desperate ferocity, searching for an unmoving anchor in a storm she’s been in since the death of her husband and oldest child.

“It’s alright,” he murmurs softly.

_ “I’m here.” _


End file.
